A particular year for fine perfumery…

2025, in addition to being dense with significant political-military, economic, and social events, has seen major transformations and developments that have profoundly changed the landscape of perfumery in general and so-called niche perfumery in particular. The latter has witnessed numerous M&A operations and shifts in the distribution policies of brands that were previously independent and are now controlled by multinationals and investment funds.

At the same time, many new brands are entering the market, coming from cultures and continents beyond the long-standing Anglo-French dominance. New contributions from Asia, Africa, South America, and North America, as well as from the European continent, are increasingly numerous and increasingly significant.

We have witnessed the birth of new retail concepts dedicated to niche perfumery all over the world, driven by enthusiasts, collectors, and young entrepreneurs who infuse new life into the sector with brilliant insights and the utmost attention to making the discovery of olfactory emotions increasingly pleasant and “user-friendly” for newcomers of the younger generations. At Essencional, we closely follow these developments thanks to our editors’ observations in London and New York, as well as in emerging markets in Latin America and the Far East.

Investment funds have also entered the retail arena in both Europe and the United States through acquisitions or minority equity stakes. On the distribution front, acquisitions and investments in long-established companies in the sector have continued.

One consequence of this market vitality has also been the emergence of a growing number of artistic perfumery trade fairs and exhibitions around the world.

This general dynamism, however, is too often characterized by haste—by the rush to outpace potential competitors, by the desire for fast, large-scale sales results and rapid returns on investment within just a few years.

I sincerely hope that we can return to a situation where new brand launches do not overlap within such tight time frames, as we have seen in recent years. A new proposal needs time to be appreciated, especially if it is original and not aligned with current trends. Launching yet another new proposal before the previous one has had time to be properly appreciated may prevent it from ever becoming a potential future benchmark. In this way, we increasingly risk seeing certain potential masterpieces abandoned and withdrawn from the market before they can be appreciated for a reasonable period of time and become possible new standards.

It is evident that the number of potential consumers of fine perfumery is rapidly increasing, and the average age of consumers is significantly lower than in the past.

On the other hand, these new consumers experiment constantly and are not easily loyal, because they often have not yet fully defined their own identity. As a result, the fragrance they wear is part of a maturation process shaped by the continuous and progressive changes in their experiences and their approach to life.

I believe the time has come to make their visits to physical and virtual stores far more sensory and emotional, to create discovery opportunities that are simple, practical, and playful. Colors, sounds, images, and words could help guide visitors as they navigate an ever-expanding array of brands and fragrances.

Visitors should be helped to express their immediate emotions when approaching each fragrance and should never be made to feel inadequate because they do not recognize specific ingredients. It is better to encourage them to communicate whether a fragrance unsettles or relaxes them, whether it feels warm or cool, yellow or black, light or heavy, rough or soft…

After all, we never ask what kind of paints a painter used, what chords or instruments a musician employed, what marble or granite a sculptor chose, or what camera a photographer or filmmaker used. What matters is only the emotion their works evoke in those who experience them.

Let us keep this clearly in mind and ensure that every physical or virtual visit encourages people to return again and again, in search of olfactory narratives that increasingly reflect their own life experiences and passions, whether they seek a discreet yet effective ambassador of their personal style or, why not, to admire compositions that are not merely good but truly beautiful from an aesthetic point of view, even if they may never wish or be able to wear them personally.

I am certain that we will see ever more extremely interesting and non-obvious retail concepts, and that a visit to a perfume shop will soon become not only an opportunity for purchase but also a personal joy and pleasure—something that can enrich our sensitivity and carry us each time into vivid and captivating “virtual” worlds.

The progressive convergence of contributions from different cultures and nations can only enrich the offerings and facilitate knowledge and sharing, helping us become increasingly ready to welcome and understand diversity and the positive contributions that add value to our experiences, our relationships, and our sense of belonging to a community as individuals, each different and unique, yet capable of listening and understanding.

Let us allow fragrance to guide us toward tolerance and toward knowledge of others, after all, it is an innate universal language that does not need to be learned and that enables sharing and understanding. Not an olfactory uniformity, but an expression of unique personalities that remain as coherent as possible with the individuals who wear them.

In conclusion, I especially urge that every new proposal be given the proper time to be appreciated. One cannot expect something innovative, unexpected, and creative to be liked by everyone immediately, and I believe that in every form of art this is a fundamental rule.

Silvio Levi